


Girl Meets A Whole New World

by 5StarPlaty



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Angst, COVID19, Coronavirus, Endgame Lucas Friar/Maya Hart, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Maya x Lucas x Bad Timing (the only true triangle), Pandemics, social distancing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23851096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5StarPlaty/pseuds/5StarPlaty
Summary: Maya Hart wasn't a stranger to Bad Timing, but she was usually careful to keep her friends away from it. And the best way to keep them out of harm's way was to never entertain Hope.Maya noticed the pattern early in her life: Hope turned up suddenly, seducing Maya with a happy future; Bad Timing swooped in, causing immediate heartache; Hope fled.While Maya knew the signs and tried to ignore them, Hope was devious in its tactics. Each time it escaped, Maya fortified new walls around her heart. And each time Hope found a way to crush those walls, it held Maya hostage until Bad Timing arrived.Two people in Maya's life unwittingly participated in Hope's schemes: Riley Matthews, sunshine enthusiast and future tour guide; and Lucas Friar, moral compass and future senator. Maya couldn't say no to either of them; she let them lead her into the dangerous underbelly of Hope's corrupt city. It was all rainbows with sacks of gold to them; they were immune to the reality of Hope's true nature.Until now. Hope had seduced them all that year. They were Seniors. This year, Life was to be celebrated. This year, Life would take a different turn.It was supposed to be better. Bad Timing had other ideas.
Relationships: Isaiah "Zay" Babineaux & Maya Hart, Isaiah "Zay" Babineaux & Riley Matthews, Isaiah "Zay" Babineaux/Isadora Smackle, Lucas Friar & Riley Matthews, Lucas Friar/Maya Hart, Maya Hart & Isadora Smackle, Maya Hart & Riley Matthews, Riley Matthews & Farkle Minkus, Riley Matthews/Farkle Minkus
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Hold Your Breath (It Gets Better)

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter titles are lines from the Aladdin song "A Whole New World". The film and song have nothing to do with this fic; I just needed appropriate chapter titles. 
> 
> POV is mostly Maya, but there's also Riley POV which begins in Chapter 4. 
> 
> No idea how many chapters yet, but I've got 15 worked out thus far.
> 
> Also, this may be a potential sequel to my unfinished work "Fire in the Water" but obviously set about 2 years later.

Maya crouched and held onto the window as she put her left boot through first. One of the tiny tassels on the hem of her blouse caught on the window frame.

“Six feet!” Riley yelled, jumping up.

“What?” Maya asked once her whole body was inside. She sat on the comfy cushions of the bay window and attended to the stubborn tassel. “What are you on about?”

Riley held out her phone. “You see? We need to practice social distancing.”

“What?” Maya squinted at Riley. “I can’t see that. Come closer.”

“No, I can’t Maya. I haven’t seen you for days. I don’t know who you’ve been with.”

Maya laughed. “I’m not an actual street rat, Riles.” She pulled the tassel free and stood. “Fine, I’ll come to you.”

“No! No, get away! We can’t—”

Maya took hold of Riley’s shoulders. “Calm down, it’s okay.”

Riley pressed her lips together and shook her head.

Maya rolled her eyes. “Now, breathe.” She swiped Riley’s phone.

“Hey!” Riley gasped. “Maya, you’re— You’re putting your germs—”

“My germs?” Maya scoffed. She sat at the bay window again. “Crazy girl, crazy world.”

“You’ll understand when you—” Riley paused to cover her mouth as she yawned. Then she gasped. “Can’t touch your face! Can’t touch your face!”

Maya scrolled through the news articles. She shook her head. “What’s—? What’s happening? Over a thousand people are sick with this thing? And—” Maya gulped. “No, that can’t be.”

“Which part are you reading?” Riley asked. She scrubbed a cleansing wipe around her face.

“Uh, American cases, I think. And— there’s been a few deaths.”

Riley held out a box of tissues. “There’s much more than that. Maybe you’re just reading today’s reports.”

“What?” Maya stared at Riley. “No, that’s—” She scrolled further down the page. “What?”

“How many cases worldwide?”

Maya sniffed and grabbed a tissue. “How many have died from it.”

Riley nodded. “It’s awful, Maya.” She sat on her bed. “I feel so helpless here. I mean, I want to help, but I have to stay away from everyone. Everyone needs to stay away from everyone.”

“Things did seem quieter than usual this morning.” Maya continued scrolling. “There’s something about school closures. Does that mean—?”

Riley sighed. “Yes, Maya. School may close.” She sniffed. “There might not be any Prom or—

“But also other places like— the movies, and museums— Oh.” Maya wet her lips and kept reading. “Cafes and restaurants too?” She looked towards the door. “What’s happening with Topanga’s?”

Riley shrugged. “Mom’s trying to figure that out now. I’m sure she told your mom and the other staff about it.”

Maya nodded. “Maybe Mom wanted to be sure before she told me anything.” Maya put the phone down. “It’s just so—” She wiped a tear from her eye.

“Don’t touch your face!” Riley shouted.

“What?”

“Use a tissue!” Riley held out the box again. “A clean one you haven’t scrunched up in your hand already.”

Maya stared at the scrunched up tissue in her right hand. “Oh, okay.” She took another tissue and wiped her eyes with it. “I guess I should wash my hands too?”

“Yes!” Riley nodded. She stepped back and grabbed a container of disinfectant wipes. “Uh, could you— Could you push my phone further away from you?”

Maya picked it up. “Or I could just hand it to you? I’m not sick, Riley. I read the symptoms; I don’t have a cough or a fever. I don’t have trouble breathing.”

Riley pointed to the other end of the cushions. “It can take a while to show symptoms, or—”

Maya placed the phone far away from her. “Happy?”

Riley picked up the phone with a wipe. “Yes, thank you.” She used another wipe to clean the screen and case.

Maya pouted. “Why don’t you trust me? I haven’t been around anyone who has this.”

“As far as you know. They might be asymptomatic.”

“A what?”

“It means you could carry the virus and not have any symptoms of it,” Riley said. “You could spread it around to everyone and allow a vulnerable person to get sick, and possibly—”

Maya frowned. “What? But that’s— No, that’s—” She shook her head. “But it _kills_ people.”

Riley nodded. “That’s why I’m acting as if I might have it. We should all do that for a while at least until— There’s talk that the whole city might shut down.”

“The whole of New York? How could that—? This place doesn’t stop.” Maya looked out of the window. “It might go quiet sometimes, but—” She looked back at Riley. “How are we supposed to get through this?”

Riley shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t hugged anyone since Friday because of this.” She started pacing the room. “Dad said we should all try to distance ourselves from other people, but— I had to see you. I had to see my friends. I tried calling you all yesterday, just to see you and tell you all to keep safe.”

Maya looked out the window.

“I got onto everyone but you, Maya.”

Maya nodded. “I put my phone on silent for the gallery.”

“That’s what I thought, but—” Riley sat on her bed. “You were supposed to come for dinner and stay over.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Maya shook her head. “I got caught up with someone—”

Riley gaped. “Who?”

Maya smirked. “Uh, before I say anything— I should wash my hands and face, right? I probably have lethal germs on me.”

“Oh, uh— Sure.” Riley opened her door. “You need to wash with soap and water for at least twenty seconds.”

“Okay—” Maya wandered down the hall and stopped at the bathroom door. “You’ll count them for me?”

Riley walked in first. “I’ll sing the song for you!” She knocked on the vanity. “Hands, Miss Hart!”


	2. Soaring, Tumbling, Freewheeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With her immediate future uncertain, Maya opts to focus on what she can control. Annoyingly that doesn't include her devoted boyfriend or her feelings for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not being American, I’m not cluey about US colleges or how college applications work or when they’re supposed to let you know you’ve succeeded... I’ve just gone off what I know from US TV shows & did some research on which colleges would most likely be chosen by the Core Four.

Biting her nails, Maya walked around Riley’s room. She smiled at the brochures for New York University, Yeshiva University and The New School displayed dramatically on Riley’s desk. Maya glanced up to see Riley’s acceptance letter from Brown University framed and hanging on the wall.

“I guess we’re going to Providence,” Maya said, with a frown. She looked out the window. “Maybe New York doesn’t need me here right now.”

Her phone buzzed. Maya stared at her drawing of Lucas wearing a cowboy hat. She put her finger over the accept button. The phone kept buzzing.

“Sorry, I can’t—” Maya rejected the video call. She shook her head. “I can’t look at you.”

Her phone buzzed again with a text: _Maya, we need to talk. It’s urgent. Can you call back?_

“Urgent? Why?” Maya peered down the hallway. “Where’d you go, Riles?” She turned to the window. “Fire escape.” Maya breathed out. “Escape, yes. I need to escape.”

Maya gazed out at the alley below. Taking out her phone, she brought up Lucas’ details. “Just a normal call. It’s just his voice. I can hear his voice. His voice is easy.” She pressed the button and put the phone to her ear.

“Maya!” Lucas sounded like he’d been running. “Thank goodness. I was about to call your mom.”

Maya gaped. “What? No, don’t— I haven’t gone home yet. I haven’t even—”

“Oh, uh— Yeah, that might’ve— Where are you now?”

“At Riley’s,” Maya said. “She just told me about— What’s urgent?”

Lucas heaved a sigh. “I guess you’ve heard now. About the virus?”

“Uh,” Maya hesitated. She peered into Riley’s room. “Yeah, I— Riley told me.”

“Is she with you right now?”

“No, I’m on the fire escape. She won’t let me breathe anywhere near her family right now.”

Lucas chuckled. “Yeah, my dad’s being a control freak too.”

“No, it’s not that— Wait, your dad’s at home?” Maya bit her lip. “Was he there when—?”

“No, he got back after—” Lucas paused. A car horn sounded. Lucas panted. “Sorry, almost got run over.”

Maya grabbed the rail. “What?!”

“There’s hardly any cars on the street, Maya. I just wasn’t— I don’t know.”

“Be careful! Where are you?”

“Currently, just east of N.Y.U. Mom asked me to go to the drug store. She’s sick, like— That’s why I called you.”

Maya gulped. “Lucas, what are you—? How’d she get sick?”

“At the hospital, probably. She thinks it’s just a cold, but Dad— He came back just after I left, and— He’s got stuff for Mom, so I don’t need to—”

“Lucas, find somewhere to rest. You sound like you’re about to pass out.”

Lucas chuckled. “No, I’m fine. Just a little dazed with all the changes." He hesitated. "I need to see you.”

Maya smiled. “Well, I—”

“I’ve already changed my route. Heading for the Matthews’ now.”

“Oh, but—”

“And you should probably stay on the fire escape.”

“What? Why?” Maya glanced at the window again. “Riley was going to show me something.”

“You should probably stay away from Riley,” Lucas said.

“What?” Maya scoffed. “Lucas, that’s—”

“I didn’t know, Maya. I didn’t know Mom was sick, and I didn’t know about any of this stuff. I was just— Why didn’t you video call me?”

“My battery’s low,” Maya lied. “We should probably end this—”

“I might be going to Texas soon.”

Maya closed her eyes and nodded.

“It’s only if school shuts down,” Lucas said. “If we go into a lockdown— Dad doesn’t want me bumbling about the apartment. He knows I’d prefer to be on the ranch.”

“But—” Maya breathed in sharply. “What about Pappy Joe? Isn’t he vulnerable? Couldn’t you—?”

“I love you.”

Maya gasped. “What?”

“You’re thinking of his health right now, when you should be worried for your own family.”

“I’m worried for everyone’s family,” Maya said.

“And that’s why I love you.”

Maya smiled. “Is that the only reason?”

Lucas laughed. “No, but— I need to be near you to tell you the other reasons, and— Now there’s all this talk about distancing from—”

Maya nodded. “Bad timing. We’re really good at that.”

“Yeah, I guess we should’ve stayed broken up for a few more months. Or never broke up at all.”

Maya smiled at his sketched face. ‘I love you too,’ she mimed.

“Maya, come with me.”

She gulped. “What?” Lucas said her name again. She put the phone to her ear. “Lucas, come with you where?”

“Texas, of course. Let’s just— We could ride all this out under the stars. A million of them.”

Maya sucked her bottom lip.

“You want to come, don’t you? You’ve wanted to go back since—”

“I just— I don’t know if I can.” She looked down, then saw movement to her right.

Riley waved at her and mimed. ‘You got back together?’

Maya smirked. “Uh, Lucas. I’ve gotta go. Riley just— She’s back.”

“Maya!” Riley hissed.

“Oh, uh— Does she know about us?”

“She does now,” Maya said. “I’ll, uh— I’ll check in with you later.”

“No, I’ll be there soon. Just give me ten minutes.”

“Oh, but—” Maya noticed Riley had moved away from the window.

“I said I was on my way. I’ll be your bodyguard on your way home.”

“Oh!” Maya bit her lip and gazed at the sky. “Uh, okay.”

“I’ll meet you under the fire escape.” Lucas hung up.

Maya sighed as she turned around. “Riley, don’t start getting—” She knelt at the open window.

Riley blew a party horn in her face. The end touched Maya’s nose. Riley jumped back with a giggle.

Maya scowled. “Riles, it’s no big deal. This is the third time we’ve reunited.”

“It’s always a big deal with you two.” Riley grinned. “Come back inside. Tell me how it happened. When—?” She gasped. “Wait, you said you got caught up with someone yesterday.” Riley pouted. “Why didn’t you just say it was Lucas?”

Maya shrugged. “Because this is—” She sighed. “With everything you told me, I—” She frowned. “It didn’t feel right to say.”

“I guess this explains why you didn’t show up for dinner,” Riley said.

Maya smiled. “Yeah, uh— Time got away from me.”

Riley sat at the other end of the window. “Why aren’t you coming back in?” She patted the cushions.

Maya pointed behind her. “Lucas is coming this way.”

“Oh, but he—”

“He knows about the virus now. He didn’t yesterday. We—” Maya sat against the railing facing the window. “We didn’t pay much attention to anything else after we—” She breathed out. “It’s all a bit of a blur, really.”

Riley poked her head out of the window. “You’re in love.” She smiled.

“What?” Maya raised her eyebrows. “That’s a bit—”

“Come on, Maya!” Riley laughed. “You’d have to be by now. You both must be.”

Maya sucked her bottom lip. She nodded and looked towards the stairs.

“But I guess you’re right about the bad timing.”

Maya rested her head on the bars. “I thought it was going to be different this time. I thought maybe there’d be an actual chance for us to—” She shrugged. “But it’s not just this thing, it’s— We’re months out from graduating, and then— what? I haven’t heard from all the schools I applied to. If I can’t be in New York, then—”

“Providence isn’t that far, and you’ll be there with me.”

Maya smiled at Riley. “I’m thankful for that. Please don’t think that I— I mean, just because I—”

“Maya, I understand you want to be near Lucas. That’s why you applied to Hunter wasn’t it?” Riley smiled. “Y’know, other than its name.”

“No, I— You applied to a bunch of New York schools, and we always said we’d be in the same city at least.”

“Yeah, but then you applied to Austin Art Institute as well. I never planned to go to Texas.”

Maya gulped. “That was—” She shook her head. “No, I just needed at least three schools, and—”

“You were thinking of being around Lucas long before you got back together.”

Maya frowned. “It wasn’t intentional. I don’t even want to continue schooling, I just—”

“Maya,” Riley whispered. “Stop denying your feelings for him. I know you’re an expert at it, but I can see through you right now.” She clambered outside and sat apart from Maya. “Now, tell me what happened yesterday. Did you go to the art gallery like you said?”

“Yes,” Maya said. “I got an invite from— Nate. Some of his stuff is there.”

“Oh,” Riley grimaced. “Was he there?”

“If he was, I never saw him. The premiere was Friday, but— I didn’t want to go. Thought I’d just show up yesterday instead, but— It was shut. It was supposed to be open, but—” Maya shrugged. “I guess they closed due to the virus.”

“So where did you see Lucas?”

Maya smiled. “The gallery’s up an alley. I saw him walk past just as I turned away from the door. My heart just kinda—” She sighed. “Stupid thing.”

Riley chuckled. “Skipped a beat?”

“A few of them, I think.”

Riley put her hand to her chest. “So you ran after him?”

“No,” Maya scoffed. “I just waited.”

“What?”

Maya grinned. “He turned around and came back.”

Riley sat wide-eyed. “He sensed you?”

“No, he said he saw me there. But— Well,” Maya hesitated. “We hadn’t spoken for over a month at that point. All the stress with school and his parents last year, and— Then my dad showing up at Christmas—”

“You should’ve stayed together last year. Lucas would’ve been your rock when your dad came.”

Maya shook her head. “You were my rock, Riley. You’ve been my rock through all my family issues.”

Riley shrugged. “I try, but I’m not always the right person to—”

“And Lucas was barely keeping it together then anyway.” Maya sighed. “Why do parents always get in the way when you’re trying to figure out your future?”

Riley pointed at Maya, then placed her hand on her own shoulder. “They just want to make sure you’re making the right decision.” She smiled. “Does your mom know about you and Lucas yet?”

“No, I haven’t been home since—” Maya bit her lip and turned away.

“Maya, what are you saying?”

Maya turned back to Riley. “Nothing— for anyone to worry about. Though, I should probably call Mom.” She looked at her phone. Lucas had sent another text: _Sorry. Might be another 10. Wait for me, please._ Maya gulped.

Riley breathed out. “Start from the gallery, when Lucas turned around. What happened after that?”

> Maya leaned against the wall and played with her phone. She heard his footsteps; his heavy boots hit the pavers with little care for stealth. He meant to get her attention. She didn’t look up.
> 
> Scrolling through her contacts, Maya hit his name then pressed the phone button. The Eagles’ _Desperado_ began playing. It wasn’t her tune. Maya turned to him, and he smiled sheepishly at her.
> 
> “Hi Maya.”
> 
> The song kept playing. Maya furrowed her brow. “Aren’t you going to answer that?”
> 
> “Well, it’s you.” Lucas smiled. “And you’re right here.”
> 
> “Oh,” Maya gasped. She turned back to her phone and cancelled the call. “I didn’t mean to—”
> 
> “Maya,” Lucas breathed out her name. It was something he did a lot when they were together, and sometimes when they weren’t. She looked back at him. Lucas stepped forward and took hold of her hand.
> 
> “Lucas—” she shivered and shook her head. “No, this is—” Maya slipped away from him. “Why are you here? Who told you that I’d be—?”
> 
> “I was just walking past, and saw you—” He gazed at the sign above the door. “Were you just in here?”
> 
> “No, it’s closed. I’m sure it’s supposed to be open today.”
> 
> “That’s a pity, I wouldn’t mind looking at some art.” Lucas turned back to her and smiled. “Do you want to get some lunch? I’ll pay.”

“We went to Central Park after that, got some lunch, and walked around. When it got darker, he asked if he could walk me home, and—” Maya smiled. “That’s when I kissed him. And it was like— It was like we’d never broken up. The last time, or even the time before that.”

Riley leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and her chin resting on her hands. “And then?”

“And then, I realised what just happened and— I wasn’t ready for it. I loved being with him, and talking with him, and—” Maya bit her lip. “But kissing him meant that I wanted him in my future. My immediate future, and I do, but that was— too much to think about then. So, I—” she shrugged. “I stepped back, because it was all just so—” Maya breathed out and shook her head. She smirked. “And then he kissed _me_.”

Riley clapped her hands. “Yes! He wasn’t going to let you step back again!”

“What?” Maya stared at her.

“What was his kiss like?” Riley grinned.

Maya smiled and licked her lips. “Like we hadn’t kissed in years. Like he’d never held me like that, or— Like our first kiss. Like our first real kiss, but better than that still.”

Riley beamed. “And now you’re going to stay together forever, right?”

Maya held onto the railing as she stood. “I don’t know. With all that’s going on now, I—”

“What happened after that? Why didn’t you go home?”

Maya gulped. “We stayed out a bit longer, then went to his place. His mom was sleeping on the sofa, so we— We went to his room. He showed me all the college brochures he’d received, and—” Maya pointed at the window. “He’s got his N.Y.U. acceptance letter framed as well, you know. On his desk. He said his mom put it there.”

Riley nodded. “She’s really proud he got in there.”

“I am too, and—” Maya sighed. “I wish I knew about Hunter. All this— waiting around is just—” She tapped her feet. “I’m happy about Risdee but I want to be here! I want to be home.”

“You want to be near Lucas,” Riley said.

Maya turned to her. “These feelings suck. It’s different this time. Getting back together just before we graduate is stupid enough, but—” She started pacing. “It’s all just really weird, Riley. We’ve barely been back together a day, and yet—” Maya stopped. “This feels like a completely new relationship. It’s like we’ve— I don’t know, levelled up or something.” She leaned against the railing. “All this virus stuff means I won’t see him as much anymore, but I can’t— I can’t imagine my life without him in it now.” Maya frowned. “And I’ve— I’ve had a good chunk of my life without him in it.”

Riley laughed. “You _are_ in love.”

Maya nodded. “I guess, yeah. It sucks.”

Riley crept closer. “It’ll work out, Maya. I think it’s pretty clear by now that the universe needs you two together. It won’t let you be apart for long.”

“Yeah, but— Maybe not here in New York.”

“You don’t know that. Hunter College might just be late in—”

Maya waved her hand. “No, I meant that—” She glanced at the street below. “Lucas asked me to go to Texas with him.”

“What?”

“To ride out everything, with all that’s happening with the virus.”

“For Spring Break, or over the summer? Or like— from when?”

Maya turned back to her. “From whenever schools shut down.”

Riley frowned. “No, you can’t— You can’t just leave when—”

“His Dad doesn’t want him here while his mom is working. She’s—” Maya leaned back. “Riley, you should back away. Lucas’ mom is sick. They don’t know what she has, but it might be—”

“This— this virus?” Riley shifted away from her. “Did you speak with her? Did you—?”

“Lucas doesn’t know if he’s—”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Riley nodded. “But— If he’s coming here, then—”

“He just wants to walk me home. Like he should’ve done last night.” Maya looked away again.

Riley sat on the window ledge. “What happened last night? Why didn't you come here, or—?”

Maya wet her lips. “We slept together,” she muttered.

“What?”

“Just sleep,” Maya said. “We just slept. We’d been talking and kissing, and we were lying on his bed. And— I started getting hot, so I took my jacket off, and— I’m not really sure what happened after that, but— We just fell asleep.” She smiled. “And then this morning, I— It was still dark, but— I knew I wasn’t in my room ‘cause Lucas’ arm was— I felt it around my waist, and—” Maya shrugged. “I felt like I could wake up like that every day.”

Riley pursed her lips.

“And I know it’s—” Maya nodded. “We just got back together, and we’ve never really spoken about it, and— it’s not even all that necessary, even though other kids our age have definitely—”

“Maya, stop.”

“I know, Riley. It’s too soon. And I don’t think I’ll ever actually—”

“I think that’s Lucas coming.”

Maya glanced down. “You can sense him?”

“No, he just wears really heavy boots. He’s no ninja.”

Maya laughed.

“I’ll let you go,” Riley said. “We can talk more on the phone. It’s clear you’ve still got a few things to figure out with him.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You and me, we’ll be fine.” Riley smiled. “We’ve still got school tomorrow, I think. We’ll get through this. You and Lucas will too. Go on. Go be with your boyfriend.”

Maya stepped away from the railing. “Are you sure?”

Riley nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”


	3. Now I'm in a Whole New World with You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya tries to keep physically distanced from Lucas as much as possible while he walks her home.
> 
> It’s not a complete success.

Maya dropped to the ground. She stepped away from the fire escape and waved at Riley. Then she scanned the alleyway. “Wait, he was—”

“I’m here,” Lucas said. Maya turned to face him. He was wearing his athletic gear and his left arm was behind his back. Maya sucked her bottom lip. Lucas presented her with yellow flower. Maya squinted at him. Lucas explained: “The florist back there just shut, but they gave me this for free. I think it’s a gerbera.”

“You went to the florist?” Maya smirked. “Why?”

Lucas shrugged. “Wanted to get my girl a present. Do I really need a reason?”

“Your girl?” Maya teased him. “What year is this? 1961 or something?”

Lucas pushed the gerbera into her face. Maya spluttered. Lucas laughed as he moved the flower away. He touched her cheek.

Maya jumped back from him. “No, Lucas. We can’t— We shouldn’t.”

“What?”

“Social distancing, remember! We really should be six feet from each other.”

“Maya,” Lucas breathed out her name. He shook his head. “So, what? I can’t— I can’t even hold your hand?” 

Maya gulped. She glanced at his right hand; the hand that hung so close to her chest early that morning. Maya wet her lips, then scowled at his smirk. She pulled the gerbera stalk out of his left hand. “What are you thinking?”

“What are _you_ thinking?”

Maya sniffed the flower. “The quickest route home, so I can be rid of you earlier.” She brushed past him, elbowing him out of the way.

Lucas coughed. “Is that how it’s going to be?”

Maya walked on, holding the gerbera just under her chin. She smiled at some of the people passing by, then stopped once she reached the stairs to the subway. It was closed.

“Yeah, that— That’s why it took longer to get here.” Lucas came up behind her. “I think some of the trains are still running, but— I don’t know. I guess it just gets too crowded in there.”

Maya shook her head. “It was open earlier, when I got here.”

“Come on, I’ll walk you back to your building.” Lucas slid his arm around her waist. “And I’ll protect you from anyone who might be sick.”

Maya glanced at his cheery smile. “Like you?”

“What?”

Maya shrugged him off and stepped aside. “I’ll need to sensitise myself when I get home.”

“What?” Lucas squinted at her. “What are you talking about?”

“You know, wash my hands and face, and shower definitely. I’m wearing the same—”

Lucas laughed. “You mean sanitise?”

Maya huffed and turned away. “I can’t be expected to get the words right when they’re all just—”

“Maya,” Lucas breathed out her name.

“Stop doing that!” Maya pointed the gerbera at him. “Your breath is— Stop it.” She walked away from the subway entrance and looked around the street. “Now, where’s the— Oh, there it is!”

Maya glanced back at Lucas keeping a safe distance from her. His hands were in his jacket pockets. She walked on until she found the next alleyway.

“Down here!” she called out to him. “Quick-sticks, Ranger Rick!”

Lucas laughed and jogged towards her.

“That’s better,” Maya said to herself. She bolted into the alleyway before Lucas caught up to her. She let him see her turn a corner, then rushed into a narrow lane, swerved past a crate that had been left in the middle, and collided with someone walking out their door. “Aah!”

“Oops, sorry miss.” The man spoke through a mask.

Maya jumped away from him and muttered her own apologies.

“Maya!” Lucas hissed. “You’re not letting me be your— Oh, hi Mister Liston.” He pushed the crate aside with his foot, then came up to Maya and put his arm around her. “How are you today?” he asked the man.

Mr Liston smiled. “I’m good, thank you Lucas. Is this your girlfriend?”

Maya glanced at Lucas. She put her hand out to greet the man. Lucas drew her arm back. “Ah, remember.”

Maya gasped. The man laughed.

“All’s good, my hands are all fishy anyway. Keep safe, both of you. I’ll meet you properly later, miss.” The man slipped away from them and turned right into the alleyway.

“I’m sorry, I—” Maya blinked. “My mind’s all— Everything’s so—” She shook her head and resumed her path down the lane.

“Maya!” Lucas followed her. “Why are we going this way? It’s not that safe.”

“I used to go home this way all the time years ago. Worst thing I came across was a dead cat. And that fishmonger guy seemed pretty decent. You seem to like him, so I don’t know what you’re worried about.”

“I’m worried about you,” Lucas said, getting in front of her. “I’m worried about us.”

Maya sighed and stared at the ground.

“I know a lot’s changed in the last twenty-four hours, but— Maya, this isn’t the end of the world.”

She glared at him. “It is for some people, Lucas. Thousands have died!”

He closed his eyes for a moment. Maya brushed past him. “Maya!” he called out.

Maya checked every door as she walked by. Reaching another corner, she smiled as she caught sight of Senora Palomo’s washing line. “It’s Unmentionables Day.” Maya chuckled.

She sensed him right behind her and carried on. Lucas sighed. “Maya, please.”

She stopped and turned to face him. “I’m sorry, okay! All of this has me on edge.”

Lucas nodded. “I feel the same, but we— We can’t do much about it. We just— We just have to follow those guidelines you’ve seen—” He reached out for the flower. Rubbing a petal between his fingers, Lucas smiled. “We can get through this, Maya.”

“But the guidelines mean that I can’t—” she gulped. “That you can’t—” Maya glanced at his arms, then looked at his face. “You can’t hold me.”

Lucas shook his head. “That’s not true.”

“Yes, it—”

Lucas pulled her into a hug. His arms held her tight, pressing her into his strong and taut body. Maya closed her eyes and nudged her head up under his chin. Lucas moved his fingers up and down her spine. Maya wanted to burrow into his chest and never come out.

“See? Nothing’s going to stop me from holding you.”

Maya sniffed. She felt hot tears roll down her cheeks.

“Hey, no— That was supposed to comfort you.” He rubbed her back again. “Is this just about the virus, or is there something—?”

Maya wiped her eyes, then gasped. “Can’t touch my face.” She stepped back and took out the tissue stuffed in her jeans pocket. “Yeah, this is just— It’s just the news about—” She dabbed the tissue around her eyes.

“Maya, I’m not going to let you keep this bottled up,” Lucas said. “You mentioned ‘bad timing’ before. Please don’t think this is a reason we shouldn’t have gotten back together.”

She looked up at him. “That’s not— I just—” Maya shrugged. “Every time I think we’re in a good place. Every time I think we’re heading towards something new between us, this—” She sighed. “Something always gets in the way.” Maya pushed the gerbera against her nose.

Lucas smiled. “See, this is why I want you to come to Texas with me.”

“But—”

“And if you’re worried about leaving your parents, they can come too. We’ve got room for them.”

Maya smiled. “Really? But what about your mom? She’s not—”

“Dad’s going to look after her here.”

“So you’re just going to Texas on your own?”

Lucas smiled. “Not if you come with me.”

Maya bit her lip. “I don’t know if—”

“Pappy Joe and Cletus will be happy to see you again.”

Maya smirked. “Ha-hurr.”

“Don’t do that.”

Maya gazed at him with doe eyes. “Don’t do what, hurr?”

Lucas moved his bottom jaw around. “Don’t do anything that’ll make me want to kiss you.”

“Well, there’s nothing in the guidelines about that.” Maya turned swiftly and walked into another lane. “Just a few more streets.”

“Are you sure this way is quicker?” Lucas asked.

Maya stopped as she reached the next main street. A few taxicabs drove by, then a food truck. Maya watched the people on the other side of the road; almost everyone seemed to be keeping their distance from each other. Some had umbrellas up, even though it wasn’t raining.

“That’s one way to keep apart,” Lucas said.

Maya shook her head. “It _is_ the end of the world, Lucas. The world is changing into something else.” She turned to him. “I saw a lot of different things this morning, but I didn’t know why until I spoke to Riley. Some of what I saw was good, but—” Maya shrugged. “Some of it was weird and unnerving.”

Lucas nodded. “I noticed that too during my run.”

“You might have to stop doing that.” Maya smiled. “All that heavy breathing, and sweat building up on your—” she smirked, then looked away.

Lucas chuckled. “It’s why I need to go to Texas. I need to be free to roam Pappy Joe’s property. I can’t be cooped up in a small apartment for— I don’t know. It could be months.”

Maya nodded. “Then you should definitely go.”

Lucas reached for the flower again. Maya let him hold the stalk. “I don’t want to be there without you. Every time I go there now, I—” Lucas sighed. “You’re a part of the landscape now, Maya.”

“What?”

“That campfire spot, every bull I see—”

“Lucas—” Maya gulped.

“Just think about it, please.”

Maya smiled at him. “I will.”


	4. Don't You Dare Close Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two days later (Tuesday)... 
> 
> With so many changes thrown at the kids this week, it's no wonder they're feeling tense about the future.

Maya covered her face with one arm as she barged through the freshman kids coming back from the field. She dragged a struggling Riley behind her; the brunette wore a purple face mask of her own making, something she had put together via an online tutorial.

“This is counterproductive!” Riley’s shout was muffled by the fabric.

They flattened their backs against an open door, where they waited until there was enough room to shuffle sideways onto the concrete outside. Maya then pulled Riley around the door and under the bleachers. A few other kids seemed to be hiding out there as well. Maya glanced at Riley repositioning her mask. They heard someone holler above them; Maya pulled Riley back to avoid the dropped soda can.

“Dave!” Riley yelled. She picked up the soda can and shook it at him.

“Riley,” Maya hissed. “What about his germs?”

Riley gasped and dropped the can.

“Litterbug,” Maya said. She walked to the other end of the bleachers and went up a few stairs.

“Maya, wouldn’t it better to meet Lucas on the sidelines?” Riley asked.

Maya turned back. “No, he told me to wait for him here.”

“Okay, I just—” Riley scanned the field. “I mean, if you’re okay to just—”

Maya laughed. “I didn’t expect you to wait around while we talk, Riles.”

“Okay, but— I mean, I should if he’s—” Riley sighed. “School’s closing, so he’s gonna—”

Maya pointed at her and touched her own shoulder. “You can go. I’ll call you if I need to talk afterwards.”

Riley frowned. “He’s not going to like your answer, but he should understand why at least.”

“I’ll see you later, Riles.” Maya continued her way up the stairs. She gave room to someone heading down, then walked along the third row and sat at the end of it.

Peering out below, she saw Riley side-stepping around the other students. Zay showed up suddenly and took hold of Riley, lifting her out of the crowd like they were in a ballet. Maya smiled once she saw Farkle with them too. She sat back and surveyed the changing uniforms on the field. Maya frowned.

Standing in a triangle with Zay and Farkle almost four feet apart, Riley watched the marching band do one last trip around the football field.

“At least _they_ know how to distance themselves,” Zay said.

Riley rolled her eyes and her head too. She took out her phone, then turned towards the bleachers.

Zay sighed. “Wrong crowd, I guess.”

Riley pulled her mask down. “School’s done,” she exclaimed. “How can school be done?”

Farkle turned to her. “We’ve completed most of our schooling already, Riley. We can do the rest online.”

Riley nodded. “Yeah, but—” she shrugged. “School wasn’t just about education!”

“Yeah, it was about football and cheerleaders,” Zay declared.

Riley glanced at her phone.

“What about Smackle?” Farkle asked.

Riley looked up again.

“She leads all the cheers for me.” Zay grinned.

“Where _is_ Smackle?” Riley searched the area. “I saw her earlier in the cafeteria. Not sure what she was doing—”

“Oh, Izzy was gathering microbes from the kitchen.” Zay beamed. “She’s now in the chem lab with Doctor Bronson trying to come up with a cure.”

Riley scrunched her nose. “Well, that’s sure to get her a Nobel Prize.”

“Where are Lucas and Maya?” Farkle asked.

Riley and Zay pointed at the bleachers, where Maya and Lucas sat on different levels. Lucas was gazing at Maya while Maya fidgeted with her blouse. Riley sighed.

“Look at those two sad sacks,” Zay said. “They don’t know how to be near each other without touching.”

Riley took a wide berth around Zay before she stood in front of him. “At least they’re talking again. The last few months have been—”

“Lucas is going to Texas tomorrow,” Zay butted in. “So for the next few months they’ll _only_ be able to talk.”

“Tomorrow?” Riley gaped. She watched Maya’s body language. “That’s why she looks so tense.”

Zay shook his head. “The whole thing’s really bad timing. They should never have broken up last year.”

Riley pursed her lips. “Or maybe they shouldn’t have gotten back together.”

Zay glanced at Farkle. “Why would you say that? You know they’ve been pining for each other for months.”

“Yeah, but—” Riley shrugged. “Maya’s just so—” She sighed. “Or maybe she _should_ go with him.”

“What?” Zay scoffed. “Why would she? Her family’s—”

“Lucas invited her to go with him.”

“He what?” Zay glared at the bleachers. “And why not his best friend?”

Farkle coughed. “One of his best friends.”

“Shush you,” Zay said.

Riley smirked. “Maya’s one of his best friends now.”

“No, no.” Zay wagged his forefinger. “Maya is Lucas’ girlfriend. She’s a friend who’s a girl.”

Riley squinted at him. “Well, that would make me his girlfriend too.”

Farkle cleared his throat.

“And also Smackle,” Riley pointed out, “and I thought she was _your_ girlfriend?”

Zay turned to Farkle. “Are you sick?”

“What?”

“You’ve coughed twice now. Are you coming down with something?”

Riley looked between them. “Zay, is Smackle your girlfriend or just a friend who’s a girl?”

Zay grumbled. “Fine.”

Riley beamed.

Farkle sighed. “I’ll go help Smackle with that cure.”

Riley turned to him. “Oh, okay.”

“Yeah, good idea!” Zay gave Farkle two thumbs up. “She might be able to come up with the vaccine using your germs.” He grinned.

Farkle rolled his eyes and walked away.

Riley watched him go. She shook her head as she turned to Zay. “What are you doing?”

“What are _you_ doing?”

“What?”

Zay wagged his forefinger at her. “You said you were Lucas’ girlfriend.”

Riley squinted. “No, I—” At Zay’s head tilt, Riley sighed. “I was illustrating how stupid your argument was.”

“By saying you were Lucas’ girlfriend.”

Riley smirked. “But I also said Smackle was, based on your—”

“Oh, come on, girl! Get with the program!” Zay raised his hands.

“What program?” Riley hunched her shoulders.

Zay walked around her as he spoke. “The one where you realise the guy you’ve been looking for has been a part of your life longer than the combined years Lucas and I have.” He stopped in front of her and held out his palm. “And that guy is—?”

Riley shook her head. “I’m not looking for any guy right now. Especially since dating is now discouraged.”

Zay massaged his forehead. “It’s— not. It’s— And you don’t—”

“I know what you’re hinting at, Zay.” Riley bit her lip and breathed through her nose. “I just can’t think of that right now.” She covered her mouth with her wrist as she yawned.

Zay turned back to the bleachers. “Well, you _should_ think about it. That doesn’t mean you have to do anything. Just— Just think about it.”

Riley’s gaze moved from Maya and Lucas to Farkle shielding his face with his arm as he entered the main school building.

“And keep certain words in check while you do,” Zay said. “That boy isn’t as tough as he looks.”

Riley smiled.

Maya slouched against the railing. She pressed her heels against the bench in front while she listened to Lucas on the phone to his father. His arm swung into her peripheral vision. Glancing left, she caught him smiling at her. Maya straightened up and took out her phone. She started composing a text to Riley.

“Okay, so— Dad thinks he can push the ticket back till Thursday evening.” Lucas stepped over the bench Maya sat on. “That’ll give you some time to pack if you decide to come.”

“Huckleberry, I—” Maya looked at him. She put her phone away. “I can’t promise that— It’s too soon to decide.”

Lucas nodded. “I know. Dad didn’t really give me a chance to tell him there might be someone coming with me, but—” He sat a few feet from her. “I’ve basically got a carriage to myself. So if you’re ready to decide tomorrow, then—”

“Lucas—” Maya frowned as she shook her head. “This is too much for me to process right now.”

He sighed. “You’re not coming, are you?”

Maya hung her head. “I want to, but—”

“Is it just because of how soon it is? Or, are you afraid to— be alone with me?”

Maya turned to him. “What?”

“It’s why I invited your parents too.” Lucas smiled. He crawled his hand towards her. “I know you wouldn’t be able to leave them here.”

Maya shrugged. “Riley too; I can’t really leave her. She needs supervision.”

Lucas scoffed. “I’m sure her parents can look after her. And it was Riley who told you about the virus. So maybe it’s you who needs to be supervised.”

“What?” Maya squinted. “I can look after myself just fine.”

Lucas smiled. “Yeah, I know. But that’s not what I’m getting at.”

Maya noted a familiar glint in his eyes. She turned away from his budding smirk to focus on the activity across from the field. Only Riley and Zay stood there now and they were looking in her direction. Maya wondered what they were saying.

“Maya, last Saturday, things got a bit—” Lucas hesitated. “Things started to get a bit—”

“Lucas, don’t—”

“It’s why I yawned,” he said.

Maya turned back to him. “What?”

He shrugged. “I wasn’t tired. I just— I could tell that if we kept going, then—”

“Yeah, I—” Maya stood. “I can’t talk about this here.”

“But we need to talk about it.”

Maya held onto the rails as she stepped on the bench in front of her.

“Maya,” he breathed out her name.

Maya shivered. She stepped off the bench and turned to him. “I know, but— not here.”

“Where, then? Your place?”

Maya shook her head. “No, that’s—”

“Topanga’s?”

“It’s only open for takeaway.”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t talk outside for a bit.”

“The wind might carry our voices,” Maya said.

Lucas laughed, but Maya could tell he wasn’t amused. He stood and picked up his messenger bag. “Right, well— I guess we’ll talk about it when I get back. Whenever that’ll be.” He turned around.

Maya sniffed. “Huckleberry—”

“Don’t!” Lucas looked back at her and sighed. “Maya, I—” he gulped. “I hate this.”

Maya nodded.

“I just want to hold you, and— and kiss you, and—”

Maya sat on the bench.

“I want you to come with me.”

She shook her head. “I can’t,” Maya said. “I’m sorry.”

“So am I.”

Maya turned to him. “What does this mean then? You’re gonna go, and— what?”

He shrugged. “I’ll call you tomorrow when I get there.” Lucas breathed out heavily, then turned away.

Maya stood. “Lucas—”

He kept walking away from her. Maya watched him go down the steps with barely a glance in her direction. She sat down again and put her head between her knees. Moments later, she heard Riley shouting her name. Maya didn’t look up again until she felt the vibrations of Riley’s stomping feet.

“Riles—”

Riley hugged her sideways. Maya kept her hands at her knees and pushed her head into Riley’s shoulder.

A few kids had started emptying their lockers. Riley kept her distance from them and checked to make sure her mask was on properly. As she rounded a corner, she found Lucas standing in front of his locker. Both of his hands were clenched, as if he was ready to physically fight something.

Riley watched him heave a sigh. He knocked on his forehead and stared into the locker. Riley walked towards him, making sure to stop four feet behind. “She’s not in there, Lucas.”

“What?” Lucas shook his head as he looked back. “Oh.”

“Maya’s not in there,” Riley clarified.

Lucas turned to face her. “Clearly,” he said. “Though she could probably fit.”

Riley nodded. “Especially now, since you shrunk her spirit.”

“What?” Lucas squinted at her.

“What were you thinking?” Riley raised her hands.

Lucas shrugged. “I— I don’t know. What are you talking about?” He turned back to his locker.

“You left Maya alone out there.” Riley pointed down the hall. “You made her cry, Lucas!”

Lucas hunched his shoulders. “No, I—” He slammed his locker shut. “That’s not what—” Lucas leaned against the lockers and folded his arms. “I wanted to talk, but she—” He hesitated. “She refuses to—” Lucas took a step forward.

Riley stepped back. “Lucas, your mom—”

He pressed his lips together, then stepped back. “She’s fine. It was just a head cold.”

“But you still need to be careful,” Riley said. “Especially with Maya.”

Lucas scoffed. “Her health or her feelings?”

“Both.”

Lucas indicated Riley’s mask. “Should I wear one of those?”

“If it’ll stop you from acting like an idiot, sure.” Riley smirked.

Lucas sighed. “I don’t think that would work. I thought I learned my lessons with Maya already, but— There’s always gotta be something that gets in the way, doesn’t there?”

Riley gulped. “Or someone.”

“Sunday, we were in a good spot,” Lucas continued. “Y’know, even with everything we’d just learned— I could tell that my hope for our future was—” He glanced down the hall. “Maya was willing to believe it. At least she seemed to be. But now she’s—” Lucas stepped aside to reopen his locker. “She’s got it in her head that this new change in the world is gonna change us again.” He shoved a few things into his backpack. “That it’s gonna break us up again.”

“Lucas, she’s just scared.”

“And I’m not?” Lucas turned back to her. “It’s why I invited her to come to Texas with me. We just got back together. We should be—” he looked down. “We should be happy, excited; we shouldn’t be terrified of what’s coming next.”

Riley shook her head. “Lucas, it’s not just you and Maya though. The whole world is experiencing this uncertainty. And Maya, she—” Looking down the hall, Riley noticed Smackle stepping out of a room with Dr Bronson. Both wore masks. Riley smiled, then frowned when she saw Farkle was with them. Riley sighed and turned back to Lucas. He raised his eyebrows at her.

“You have somewhere to be?” Lucas asked.

“Just here,” Riley said. “I still have to rebuke you for hurting my best friend.”

“Riley—”

“Maya’s creativity means that— She feels things deeply. More deeply than she lets on. And you—” Riley pointed at him. “You know that, and yet you still left her to deal with those feelings on her own.”

Lucas shook her head. “No, I— I tried to reason with her.”

“How?” Riley rested a hand on her hip.

Lucas flexed his fingers and turned back to the locker. “Riley, there’s— There’s more to our problems than just this virus.”

Riley pressed her lips together. She let her eyes drift to where she’d seen Farkle. Dr Bronson now stood alone with Smackle. Riley closed her eyes for a few moments. “There’s more to everyone’s problems, Lucas.”

“You know I invited her parents to come along, right?” Lucas glanced back as he emptied his locker. “I know Maya needs that kind of stability right now, more than ever, and I’m—” He closed his locker, then paused. “I didn’t just ask her to come so she’d be with me.” Lucas turned around. “I want to keep Maya safe too. Things are bound to get crazy with all the people in this city. And she’s—” He put his backpack on. “She’s still so reckless, Riley. And I know part of it’s because that’s what she does when she’s running low on hope, but—” Lucas yawned into his wrist. “Honestly, I’m just tired of trying to give her hope when she seems so— against acknowledging there even is any.”

Riley stared at him. “What are you saying? Are you tired of being with her already?”

“What?”

“Lucas, this isn’t the relationship you had before. You can’t jerk Maya around like this.”

Lucas’ mouth gaped. He shook his head. “I’m not— I’m not doing that. If anything, she’s the one—” Lucas waved Riley off. “Why am I even trying to argue this with you? You’ll just take her side, which is— Perfectly fine for you to do.” He walked past the lockers.

Riley followed him. “Lucas, I just want to make sure you’re treating her the right way.”

Lucas stopped. “Riley, I’m trying my best. My dad’s at home at the moment, so everything there is—” He clenched his fist. “This virus means that my future education is up in the air, but of course everyone’s is.” Lucas sighed. “Being with Maya in Austin was the one good thing I had left to look forward to.”

Riley frowned. “Lucas, it sounds like you’re going to break up with her.”

“No, I—” He shook his head. “How could I? After all we’ve been through? To get to that point on Saturday, where everything just—” Lucas smiled. “I want us to stay together. I want this to be it. I never wanted us to break up, but— the times that we did made sense at the time. They stopped making sense after a while, when I realised that—” He hesitated. “I love her, and I—”

Riley gulped. “Tell her, Lucas.”

“She knows,” Lucas said. “I haven’t shied away from saying it this time. And she doesn’t seem too scared by it, but she’s—”

“No buts!” Riley poked his shoulder with one finger. “Don’t blame this on her insecurities.” She stepped away from him.

Lucas squinted at her. “What else can I blame it on?”

“Bad timing,” Riley answered. Lucas scoffed at that. Riley crossed her arms. “Don’t leave yet. Wait till she’s ready.”

“Ready for what?” Lucas asked. “Things might get restricted so much I won’t even be able to go to Texas.”

“And would that be so bad? You want to keep you and Maya together, don’t you?”

Lucas smiled. “Yes, of course.”

Riley nodded. “Then stay here for her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT CHAPTER...
> 
> "Maya, I’m sorry.” Lucas touched Maya’s shoulder. “It’s gone, okay. It was just a bee.”  
> “Just a bee?” Riley asked. “What happened to it?”  
> “It flew a—”  
> “Sorry?” Maya narrowed her eyes at Lucas. He gulped.  
> Zay snickered. Maya turned her focus on him instead. Zay sat on the brick wall. “Look, he started it.”  
> Maya looked back at Lucas. “Started what?” She grabbed his shirt and glared at him. Lucas smirked.  
> “Children!” Mr Matthews clapped. “I have limited time for this.”  
> Maya let Lucas go. “You’re lucky,” she said.  
> “I know.”


	5. [Or] Say We’re Only Dreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya wants to ignore her feelings and instead focus on the parts of her life she can control.
> 
> But memories like to make things difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a family medical drama take over my life soon after I posted Chapter 4. I had written Chapter 5 already, but I didn't want to post it not knowing when I'd be able to get back into this fic. Things are a little settled now but, with all the COVID stuff still going on (and things getting worse in the US), I won't be updating as regularly as I'd once thought.
> 
> At this point the story is going to cover March & April 2020, with a possible epilogue set many months later.

**(Thursday morning)**

While sketching new portraits of her friends, each wearing their graduation gown and cap, Maya’s phone buzzed. She squinted at the screen tilted at a bad angle on her chest of drawers. Maya finished off the last detail of Isadora Smackle’s Nobel Prize.

After checking the rest of the picture, Maya flipped through her sketch book until she came to Lucas smiling at the ferret poking over his cap. Maya sighed. She pushed the sketch book away and checked her phone.

_I won’t let you forget that I love you._

Maya closed her eyes. She put the phone down case side up, then started crawling on the floor. Once she reached the window, Maya opened her eyes. Her phone buzzed again.

Maya pressed her nose into the window pane; the glass fogged up as she scowled.

“He still left?” Riley’s eyes blew up wide. The screen blurred as she shook her head. “After all I—”

“He could only push his ticket back a day,” Maya explained. “And I couldn’t—” She sighed. "But he knew I wouldn’t.”

“But that’s—” Riley frowned. “I told him to stay here for you.”

Maya smiled. “I know. But it’s not like we would’ve been able to meet up here anyway. They’re suggesting we all stay in our own homes. Well, he’s got his place. I’ve got mine.”

Riley nodded. “You could’ve had your own place.”

“What?” Maya laughed. “Riley, we—”

“Maybe you should’ve gone with him.”

Maya squinted at her. “What?” She shook her head. “No, it’s going to be alright. We’re still good. We’re just gonna talk on the phone and online as much as possible.”

“Maya, I—” Riley moved away from her screen at little. “I know you. I’ve seen what your feelings for Lucas do to you when you can’t—” she sighed.

Maya placed the phone on her pillow. As Riley continued, she lay on her stomach and looked back at her friend on the screen.

“You try to bottle things up and focus on something else for a while— _Someone else_ for a while, but— Your feelings eventually bubble out again anyway.”

Maya scoffed. “Yeah, that’s why they suck.”

“It’s why this is the fourth time you’ve dated.” Riley smiled. “But like you said on Sunday, it feels different now.”

Maya looked at her sketch book lying on the floor.

“Now you can’t imagine your life without him in it, so why— Why are you trying to?”

“What?” Maya looked back at her. “Riley, you said I couldn’t go.”

Riley tilted her head. “I’m not your parents.”

“Well—” Maya hunched her shoulders. “They’ll say I can’t go.”

“Didn’t Lucas invite them too?”

“Yes, but—” Maya bit her lip and glanced at her window. “With them there, it would get really—”

“Embarrassing?”

Maya scoffed. “No, they ran out of embarrassing material last time.”

“And Lucas _still_ wants to be with you, so—” Riley smiled. “I’m sure they’d love to go. And they’d be happy that you and Lucas are happy. I mean, I hope they would be.” Riley looked to the side. “At least then you wouldn’t be moping around your apartment.”

Maya frowned. “Yeah, uh, they still don’t know me and Lucas are back on.”

“Why haven’t you told them?”

Maya sighed. “It just didn’t seem worth it. Especially at a time like this.”

“Why won’t you allow yourself some happiness?” Riley shook her fist at Maya. “Especially at a time like this.”

Maya blinked. “Uh, you know me. Hope and I, we just—” She shrugged. “We don’t get along that well.”

Riley narrowed her eyes.

Maya laughed. “Go ahead. I’ll listen to your rant.”

Riley shook her head. “No rant, just—” She shrugged. “You’ve hoped for a lot of things that came to pass, so you know the good power it has.”

“Yeah, like what?” Maya raised her eyebrows. “And don’t just focus on—”

“Your mom and Shawn, for one.”

“That’s what I was—” Maya smirked. “Anything else?”

Riley held up two fingers. “There’s your art. You’ve done really well with that. Not just at school, but in the community too. And that’s why you were accepted at Risdee. And why you’re gonna be accepted at Hunter, and that other school that is just too far away!”

Maya nodded. “Okay, well, I’m willing to accept—”

“And then there’s Lucas—” Riley held up three fingers. “And—”

“Riley,” Maya hissed.

“And me, yep.” Riley held up four fingers.

Maya squinted. “What?”

“Me and Lucas,” Riley said.

Maya gulped. “What are you talking about?”

Riley pointed at her. “You hoped— that we’d realise— that there was nothing—”

“Riley, I never hoped that you’d break up.” Maya shook her head. “That’s just— I wanted you two to work things out. Remember?” She sat up, but left the phone on the pillow. “I put so much effort into _not_ being a part of your relationship. It didn’t matter what my feelings were because you—”

Riley blew her party horn.

Maya poked her ears. “Riley, why did you—?” She picked up the phone.

Riley pushed the horn at the screen. “It did matter because your feelings were stronger than mine.”

Maya looked away. “I didn’t know that then.”

“But you know it now. Come on, Maya. It’s been actual years since then. My stupid conditional feelings for Lucas lasted three years, four tops. But you—”

Maya looked back at her. “You weren’t stupid for feeling something for him.”

Riley nodded. “I was— growing into the person I thought I should be. The person I’d wanted to be since I was a kid, and— Here was this nice, charming boy who liked animals, and— my best friend in the whole wide world supported me in trying to get his attention and helped me develop a friendship with him. And—” Riley pointed at Maya. “Throughout all that time my best friend was harbouring feelings for him too. But she was so good at hiding her truth, and I was so good at ignoring it, that I— I failed to notice that that boy was also harbouring feelings for my best friend.”

Maya sucked her bottom lip.

“But we’ve gone over this before, Maya. And you know I don’t have those feelings anymore because I recognised them for what they were.”

Maya nodded. “You said it was just a really big crush.”

“So big it almost crushed _us_ ,” Riley said. “And Lucas just had a crush on me too.” She shrugged. “Which is cool to know, now, but— It really hurt back when we both realised that we just— We weren’t really anything without your support, Maya.”

“No, I— I supported your relationship, Riles.”

“You weren’t holding us up!” Riley laughed. “You stepped away. You had your own relationship to figure out. You couldn’t hold our hands together anymore. And you shouldn’t have done that in the first place, but— Back then you didn’t know—” Riley sighed. “You didn’t know that Lucas felt anything for you. I guess it was easier to support us back then; back when you had no hope for a chance with him. But then, when you did—”

Maya glanced at the sketch book.

“When you did have hope— When you did know about his feelings for you—”

Maya picked the sketch book up.

“That’s when you stopped being the Maya I knew. And I stupidly thought that meant something was wrong. Because— who you were was a stranger to me.”

Maya blinked. “What?”

“And maybe you’re right about hope. It does like to trick you. It’s tricked me too a few times.”

Maya held the phone in front of her. “Riley, what are you talking about?”

“When I thought you were me.”

Maya scoffed. “Okay, but— We all know that was just a— I mean, you know that was just—”

“I know why I clung to the idea for so long. I had hope that maybe, somehow, what you felt for Lucas wasn’t what I did.” Riley grimaced. “And while that’s true, I thought my feelings for him were real and yours were— I don’t know, manufactured or something.”

“Yeah, but we’ve gone over this. You know why I was so torn apart then.”

Riley nodded. “Because you were stuck in the middle. The triangle wasn’t about who Lucas would choose, but— Who Maya would choose. Who Maya would prefer to always have in her life. So you stepped back, _again_ , and chose me.” Riley smiled. “Because that’s the kind of person you are. You preferred to see me happy than yourself. You always have.”

Maya opened the sketch book to the page with her group of friends. Riley had her head on Maya’s shoulder with Maya’s hand keeping her in place. Lucas had one arm around her waist and held her other hand against his heart.

“And I think you chose me again,” Riley said. “Maya, you should tell your Mom about Lucas. You need to find a way to be with him.”

Maya looked back at the phone. “Look, this could be a good test of our relationship. We’re gonna have to spend time apart when we go to college anyway, so—”

“Lucas wants to be with you now!”

She scoffed. “He’s in Texas, Riley. Or, nearly there. If he wanted to be with me, he would’ve—”

“Asked you to come with him? Said your mom and Shawn could come too? Tried to push back his departure so you had more time to decide?”

“It wasn’t enough time,” Maya said.

“Maya, I’m sure you wanted to go as soon as he asked.”

Maya looked at the sketch again.

“But I got in your head. I’m sorry about that.”

Maya shrugged. “It wasn’t just you. It was everything. It was seeing Mom stress out about work, and hearing Shawn talk to the family in our old apartment. It was watching everything unfold on the news and reading everything I could. And feeling so much anger that everyone worse off than me were getting forgotten about again, and—” She sniffed. “There I was, worried that I wouldn’t see my boyfriend for a few months. I mean— There are bigger things to hope for, Riley! There are more important things than my love life.”

Her phone buzzed. Maya stared at the text notification: _I’m as far away from you as I’m gonna get._

“You’re right, Maya. But that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to wish you could be with him.”

Maya swiped the notification away. “My, uh, the battery’s going.”

“Okay,” Riley said, sounding half-defeated. “I’ll send you a text later, but we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

Maya nodded. “See you, Riles.”

With her phone plugged in at the wall, Maya crawled into her bed. She pushed the sketch book against the wall and closed her eyes. Imagining Lucas lay behind her, Maya recalled the feeling of his breath upon her neck Sunday morning.

She opened the sketch book to the group drawing. Maya glanced at the photograph she’d sketched from framed on the wall above her desk. Mr Matthews had taken the picture on their last day of Junior Year. They were all squished together on a garden wall near the faculty parking lot.

> “Does my arm need to be like this?” Maya glared at Lucas. “It’s not in a good position.”
> 
> “You’re not in a good position,” Lucas muttered, pulling her closer to him. “Riley, move while I—”
> 
> “Nope!” Maya shifted to the right. “Riley’s not going anywhere.”
> 
> Riley wriggled free. “Yes, I am. I need my head, Maya.” She got off the wall. “Get yourselves comfortable first. I’ll join in when you’re ready.” Riley turned to speak with Farkle and Smackle.
> 
> “That sounded wrong,” Maya whispered. Lucas tickled her neck as he pushed her hair to one side. “Huckleberry!” Maya turned to him with a smirk. “We don’t need to get _that_ comfy—”
> 
> Lucas held a finger to her lips. “Shush. There’s something crawling on your back.”
> 
> “What?” Maya shook herself. “Get it off!” She scrunched her top as she tried to see the creepy crawly over her right shoulder. “Is it still there? What is it?” Maya heard Lucas take a deep breath. She turned to him. “What?”
> 
> “Oh, it just went in your hair!” Zay shouted.
> 
> “What?” Maya pushed herself off the wall. She stumbled, but Riley caught her. Maya shook her head about and tried to get the critter out of her hair with Riley’s help. She heard Lucas’ boots hit the ground.
> 
> “Maya,” he breathed out her name. “Riley, stop, it’s— Maya, I’m sorry.” Lucas touched Maya’s shoulder. “It’s gone, okay. It was just a bee.”
> 
> “ _Just_ a bee?” Riley asked. “What happened to it?”
> 
> “It flew a—”
> 
> “ _Sorry?_ ” Maya narrowed her eyes at Lucas. He gulped.
> 
> Zay snickered. Maya turned her focus on him instead. Zay sat on the brick wall. “Look, he started it.”
> 
> Maya looked back at Lucas. “Started what?” She grabbed his shirt and glared at him. Lucas smirked.
> 
> “Children!” Mr Matthews clapped. “I have limited time for this.”
> 
> Maya let Lucas go. “You’re lucky,” she said.
> 
> “I know.” Lucas lifted Maya onto the wall again. He grazed his fingers down her jeans.
> 
> Maya swatted his hands away. She glanced right to see Riley was too busy checking her own hair.
> 
> Lucas sat on the wall next to her and slowly moved his right arm around her waist. “Lean into me,” he whispered. “You’ll be more comfortable.”
> 
> Maya shifted to the left and almost sat on his thigh. She moved off again. “Do you want me angled or something?” Maya gasped as she felt part of her top slip under her bra. “Uh, you’re just a bit high there.” Maya tried to move his hand down.
> 
> Lucas took hold of her left arm and moved his fingers up to her hand. Maya watched his hand move around her wrist until their fingers intertwined. She leaned into him and let go of his right hand. She smiled when she felt him kissing her head.
> 
> Zay coughed. “Guys, we should probably hurry up before this campfire gets outta control!”
> 
> Maya rolled her eyes and smiled at Riley as her best friend got up on the wall again. “Did you have something in your hair?”
> 
> “No, and I’m not entirely sure you did either.”
> 
> “Yeah, your help probably wasn’t necessary.”
> 
> “No, it was necessary,” Zay said. “I needed that laugh.”
> 
> “Zay!” Lucas hissed. He jerked forward. “What are you—?”
> 
> Maya peered around Lucas. She squinted at Zay’s legs stretched out along the rest of the wall. “Cowboy, there’s a bug on your back now.”
> 
> Zay laughed. “There’s no bees here. There’s no flowers to pollinate.”
> 
> Maya moved back against Lucas and dropped her arm. She felt him tense up.
> 
> “But bees still hang around where there aren’t flowers,” Riley said. “I’m sure I’ve—”
> 
> “Yeah, that’s right. Other plants get pol— ergh!” Lucas coughed when Maya dug her elbow into his stomach. He looked down upon her doe eyes and gulped. “Okay, you caught me.”
> 
> Zay laughed again. “Now, we should hurry up before Maya sends Lucas to the hospital.”
> 
> Mr Matthews sighed. “Okay, kids. Get into position.”
> 
> Riley lay her head on Maya’s shoulder. Maya instinctively wrapped her arm around Riley’s head, but kept looking at Lucas.
> 
> “You’re still going to get back at me, aren’t you?”
> 
> Maya nodded. “Hahurr.” She slapped his chest with the back of her hand. Lucas held onto it and kissed her knuckles. “Huckleberry—”
> 
> “Is everyone finally ready?” Mr Matthews asked.
> 
> Lucas pressed Maya’s hand against his heart. “We are.”

Maya dropped the sketch book on the floor. “If I’m going to survive the next few months, I can’t reminisce the past. I have to think about the future.”

She went to her desk and opened the top drawer. Inside she found envelopes and post-it notes sitting on top of her acceptance letter from Rhode Island School of Design. Maya flattened it out on her desk.

“I should frame it,” Maya said. “Frame my future. Just like Riley did. Just like Lucas—” She looked back at her phone. “He’s as far away from me as he’s ever gonna get. He’ll be fine.”


End file.
